QPR gets first road win vs. Chelsea in 30 years

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPublished January 3, 2013 - 12:24am

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LONDON — Shaun Wright-Phillips condemned former club Chelsea to a surprise 1-0 loss in the Premier League on Wednesday and gave bottom-place Queens Park Rangers its first victory at Stamford Bridge in 30 years.

Wright-Phillips struck the ball into the bottom corner of the net in the 78th minute to halt Chelsea’s run of four successive wins and leave its west London rival in fourth place.

Both teams were playing in the second tier when QPR last won at its west London rival, in April 1983.

“I can’t remember many better wins than this one, with Chelsea flying at the moment,” QPR manager Harry Redknapp said.

This victory could help prevent QPR from dropping out of the Premier League after two seasons. Redknapp’s side is still in a perilous position at the bottom but now only behind Reading on goal difference.

Not only was this QPR’s first away win of the season but also the team’s first on the road since November 2011 — when Neil Warnock was in charge, two managerial appointments ago.

“They’ve set the standard what they’ve got to do if we are going to get out of this mess,” Redknapp said.

The triumph came against a Chelsea side that had been revitalized under Rafa Benitez but is now 14 points behind leader Manchester United after the team’s fourth loss of the season, albeit with a game in hand.